Alex Hosseini still remembers receiving his first pair of Kevin Durant’s signature Nike sneaker, the KD 5, back in 2012.
Durant had just led the OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals. Nike had just launched a national “KD IS NOT NICE” ad campaign to push the newly-released model. And the buzz around Durant’s sneaker was as big as any in the basketball world.
“I’m a big fan of all of his shoes,” said Hosseini, a 19-year-old Oklahoma City native. “I didn’t camp out for those shoes. But going to Footlocker as a little kid and getting the pair of KDs that I wanted, it was a dream come true. It put a big smile on my face.”
But Hosseini did camp outside for a pair of sneakers this week. He slept outside of Dick’s House of Sport in Oklahoma City to get a good spot in line for Thursday’s 9 a.m. release of three colorway versions of the Shai 001, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s first signature sneaker with Converse.
It’s arguably the hottest signature sneaker on the market right now. And while players such as Durant, Russell Westbrook and Paul George had their own signature sneakers while with the Thunder, the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP has them beat.
“I feel like the hype is actually bigger for the Shai 001s than the KDs were when he was with Oklahoma,” Hosseini said. “Him bringing a championship here makes the hype even higher, as well as them looking good. It makes it all great.”
Thursday marked the second release of Gilgeous-Alexander’s signature sneaker.
Its debut “Butter” colorway was released in limited quantities on Sept. 4 and sold out instantly. That version of the sneaker is now reselling on third-party sites such as StockX and GOAT for over $350, shattering the retail price of $130.
So when Converse announced that three new colorways — Masi Blue, Charm Black and Hail Clay — were releasing Thursday, Hosseini and his friend, Pouria Adelany, were ready. They arrived at around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday with camp chairs, water, food and blankets.
That might sound crazy to those who aren’t into sneakers. But the craziest part is that Hosseini and Adelany weren’t even the first ones to arrive.
That title goes to Xavier Morgan, who showed up at around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The Thunder superfan came to the same store back in June for a meet-and-greet with Jalen Williams, only to be met by a line that wrapped around the building because he didn’t show up early enough.
Morgan was determined to not let that happen again. Fortunately, the co-owner of a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm named Pasture&Plow had a flexible-enough schedule to camp out Wednesday. And through the power of Lunchables and perseverance, he waited around 18 hours for the doors to open.
“I was like, ‘Nah, when these (sneakers) come out, I’m going to be first in line,'” said Morgan, who’s coincidently from the Washington, D.C., area just like Durant. “There was one other lady who showed up shortly after me. … But after that, it was probably a few hours before the line actually started up.”
Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t attend the event. But when asked about the turnout during a post-practice media availability on Friday, a smile spread across his face.
“It’s amazing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “To create (the Shai 001) and make it is so fun and cool. It’s an experience in itself. But to have the rest of the world and the people love it as much as I do is what’s really special. I’ve said this before, but there’s so many shoes out there in the world.
“Those people get up at whatever time of day, however early and lose sleep to get my shoes. That’s amazing. It’s one of the best feelings ever.”
Morgan said his favorite colorway being released Thursday was the “Masi Blue” pair, which is named after Gilgeous-Alexander’s brother, Thomasi. The “Hail Clay” colorway is named after his wife, Hailey. And the “Charm Black” colorway is named after his mother, Charmaine.
That level of storytelling is essential to a successful line of signature sneakers. Durant, for example, has a pink “Aunt Pearl” colorway for every one of his models. It honors his aunt, who passed away in 2000 after battling lung cancer. The KD “Aunt Pearl” 7 is Hosseini’s favorite sneaker of all time, and he recently purchased it.
“It just speaks to the family man that he is,” Morgan said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “He’s all cool, calm and collected and everything. But it shows you he’s just a regular dude like the rest of us. It’s really sick that every single one is named after (a loved one).”
Of course, the sneaker also has to be wearable. And the Shai 001 has been praised for its versatility.
Sneakers from Durant, Westbrook and George are mostly designed for performance. But Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s the Creative Director of Converse, designed his to also be worn off the court. The fashion-forward guard proves that with every pregame fit, which is tied together with a pair of Shai 001s.
Part of the appeal is the fact that it’s a low-top sneaker, which can be worn with both shorts and pants. The four colorways released so far also consist of only one color, which makes them easier to match with outfits. And the zipper atop the sneaker can be adjusted for either containment or comfort.
“I feel like when you zip up the zipper, that’s for on the court,” Adelany said. “When you keep it unzipped, that’s for off the court. And then you can mix and match an outfit for it. I feel like it was definitely made to be more versatile.”
While the “Butter” colorway was released in limited quantities, the three versions released Thursday were sold on Converse.com, the Nike SNKRS app and select retailers. But they still sold out in a matter of minutes.
Fortunately, those who attended the event at Dick’s were able to buy one of each colorway. They were also able to take photos with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and a “Trophy Gold” pair of Shai 001s that Gilgeous-Alexander showcased after Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The “Trophy Gold” colorway is unreleased. So is the “Ares Gray” colorway, which Gilgeous-Alexander named after his son, Ares. That pair is “coming later,” according to Converse’s website.
And when it does release, people such as Morgan, Hosseini and Adelany will be waiting in line to buy.
“The whole experience is super sick,” Morgan said. “Hopefully I can get off the farm quick enough next time. I’m definitely going to try to make it.”